338: Chapter 343: The Creation and Nurturing of Heaven and Earth by the Strange Black Stone 338: Chapter 343: The Creation and Nurturing of Heaven and Earth by the Strange Black Stone The lake was a light blue, clear and transparent, with lush vegetation on its banks and pavilions dotting the landscape, creating a picturesque scene.
At this moment, people were everywhere; an unknown number had gathered—men and women, young and old—creating a cacophony.
Wu Ziming strode forward, a cold smile on his face.
“Black Boy, you finally dare to show your faces!
After hiding for so many days, you couldn’t hold back any longer?” Li Heishui also smiled coldly.
“Couldn’t hold back?
My heart is激动, I came out of seclusion specifically to demand Source from you.
Have you brought enough?
One hundred thousand jin of Source, is it?
If it’s less than that, go back where you came from.
We won’t accept it.” By the lakeside, everyone was dumbfounded.
The two confronted each other with full hostility from the very start, their words laced with gunpowder.
This Source Technique duel was sure to be intense.
“One hundred thousand jin of Source?
Brother Tuoba has it, but don’t you delude yourselves!” Li Chongtian sneered.
Tuoba Chang was very calm.
He ignored these remarks and stood silently, gazing at the small island in the lake, watching the profusion of glistening petals as they fell.
“It’s good that you have one hundred thousand jin of Source.” A trace of cold indifference touched Li Heishui’s lips.
He feared the other party might try to pull a fast one, arriving empty-handed without any Source; that would yield no gains.
Wu Ziming laughed airily.
“Do you really think you can take it?
In my opinion, the several hundreds of thousands of jin of Source you obtained from auctioning spiritual medicines is just the right amount to contribute.” “Indeed!
Brother Tuoba’s grandfather’s 300th birthday is fast approaching.
You can consider this a grand gift,” Li Chongtian laughed heartily.
“Enough idle talk.
Let’s have a real Source Technique duel and see who’s actually here to gift Source,” Li Heishui declared.
Nearby, everyone was filled with anticipation.
Both groups exuded confidence, a confrontation of needlepoint against wheat awn.
All involved were supreme masters of Source Technique; today, they were truly likely to cut open astonishingly rare treasures.
“Exactly!
A Source Technique duel!
Cut open some peerless, rare treasures and let us feast our eyes!” “Everything else is meaningless!
Cutting the stone reveals the truth.
Let the duel begin now!” Everyone was extremely excited, eager to witness the methods of Source Technique masters.
Perhaps they would even see the emergence of a treasure rarely seen in the world.
“The Strange Technique of the Source Technique noble families was praised even by the Heavenly Source Master back in the day!
Today, everyone is in for a treat!” Wu Ziming announced with great flair.
“A pity it’s a duel against a Village Technique,” Li Chongtian muttered under his breath, but everyone could still hear him.
The higher you climb, the harder you fall.
Go on, keep blowing your own horns and disparaging us with all your might, Li Heishui thought, a cold smile on his face, though he didn’t voice these words.
Ye Fan stepped forward, intending to cross the water to the small island where the Heavenly Stone Garden was located.
To gather a million jin of Source, he was now selecting only the rarest stones.
Tuoba Chang, who had acted as if no one else was present and hadn’t spared Ye Fan or Li Heishui a single glance, finally looked at Ye Fan.
“Wait!” Ye Fan stopped and looked at him calmly.
Since the other party was so aloof, he didn’t want to say much and quietly waited for him to speak.
Tuoba Chang said, “The Heavenly Stone Garden of the Sacred Lands is a holy ground.
True masters of Source Technique duel their way in.” “What do you propose?” Ye Fan asked.
“We don’t need to start from the first layer of the Stone Garden.
Let’s just use this lakeshore as our starting point.
If one cannot cut out Source of an equivalent grade, there’s no need to enter the Holy Stone Garden to pete.” “Exactly.
If the gap in Source Technique is too large, Brother Tuoba has no need to waste his time,” Wu Ziming chimed in.
“That’s how it should be.
If you can’t cut out Source of an equivalent grade, what’s the point of entering the Ji Family’s Holy Stone Garden?” Li Chongtian also sneered.
“Very well.
You choose a stone,” Ye Fan said, having nothing more to say to him.
By the lakeside, there were stretches of vegetation and towering pavilions, but very few stones.
A Source Master from the Ji Family stepped forward and said with a wry smile, “There are no stone materials here, only some scattered ornamental garden stones.” Tuoba Chang shook his head.
“No.
In my opinion, there are still some rare stones here.
One merely needs a discerning eye to find the pearl.” Everyone present was surprised.
There were no stone materials by the lake, only mon discarded stones used for garden landscaping, placed near the roots of ancient trees or beside old vines.
Ye Fan and Tuoba Chang acted simultaneously, moving quickly among the most ordinary-looking stones.
Otherwise, if there truly were a rare stone, the other would undoubtedly select it first.
“The stones his finger touched turned golden!” someone exclaimed.
“What’s happening?!” Many people were dumbfounded.
Tuoba Chang’s speed was incredible.
His forefinger continuously pointed out, and every time it landed on a stone, the stone material would turn golden, as if cast from gold.
“This is…
the Red Gold Divine Hand, a state of supreme mastery!” an elder exclaimed, feeling it was a real eye-opener.
Many were hearing of it for the first time, let alone seeing it with their own eyes.
Tuoba Chang’s finger seemed to possess a strange, demonic might; as he walked, he touched dozens of stones, turning them entirely golden.
Only after he had walked more than ten paces away did those stones return to their normal state, leaving everyone astounded.
Ye Fan also felt a shiver of apprehension.
The other party was indeed a master.
His Red Gold Divine Hand had reached the Transformation Realm, capable of discerning what lay hidden within the stones.
DING!
Suddenly, Tuoba Chang stopped.
He pointed at a stone riddled with holes, resembling rotten wood that had been gnawed by insects, full of pits and hollows.
He held this stone in his palm and continued to select others, but in the end, he did not change his mind and settled on this one.
“That’s a Ghost Split Stone!
It’s almost impossible for it to contain Source.
Why did he choose it?” Many people were puzzled, and even Wu Ziming couldn’t help but remind him.
Ye Fan came to the lakeside and scanned some stones, but he hesitated to act.
This wasn’t a true Stone Garden, after all; only some discarded stones had been left here.
Selecting a rare stone would be quite challenging.
However, no one urged him.
The scene was utterly silent; everyone waited quietly.
Many were confident he could cut out an Ancient Divine Medicine.
Ye Fan walked halfway around the small lake, examining all the discarded stones.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
He went straight to the lakeshore, fished out a stone the size of a human head that was submerged in the water, observed it carefully, and then selected it.
Tuoba Chang was decisive.
Without further words, his golden finger tapped.
The Ghost Split Stone shattered into pieces, and a dazzling light shot out—a sky-blue light, extremely brilliant, captivating everyone’s eyes.
A fist-sized Exotic Source burst forth with light, like the condensed essence of the azure sky, emitting streams of blue radiance.
This was a Blue Diamond Source, a piece like this was worth 1,500 jin of Pure Source.
Ye Fan also said little.
With a gentle stroke, the stone material in his hand cracked apart.
Simultaneously, a crimson light surged upwards, illuminating the surroundings.
It was also an Exotic Source, similar in size, like a fiery red sun, flickering with light.
It was named Fiery Red Source.
Everyone marveled.
The Source Technique masters turned stone to gold with such casual ease, each cutting out 1,500 jin worth of Source.
It was a skill that could only be envied, not learned.
“Good!
To the island!” Tuoba Chang declared succinctly.
He boarded a boat to cross the lake.
No one dared to fly here; they could only obediently take a boat across.
The personnel from the Ji Family’s Gambling Stone Workshop could only pray silently; for two such masters to choose this place was more a curse than a blessing.
Ye Fan and Li Heishui also boarded a boat, rowing towards the small island in the lake.
The real duel was about to begin.
“Let us go over and watch!
We’ll stand on the water and observe quietly.” Many cultivators fervently requested, and eventually, the Ji Family members agreed.
The numerous cultivators were overjoyed and, in an instant, surrounded the small island.
The island was only a few hundred meters across, with clusters of flowering trees.
Many of these were ancient trees that had stood for thousands of years, gnarled and twisted like Coiled Dragons, their petals swirling in the air, shimmering and fragrant.
On the island, the arrangement was exquisite.
Spiritual Springs gurgled, and strange stones were arrayed about, naturally forming a scenic landscape, intertwined with the flowering trees.
It resembled a piece of otherworldly Immortal Soil.
An elderly man, with skin as smooth as a baby’s and hair as white as snow, sat cross-legged alone among the flowering trees.
He kept his eyes closed, motionless, without any reaction.
“Haha…
we’re not too late, are we?” A group of elderly men appeared, all with white hair yet youthful faces, brimming with vitality, their ages astonishingly great.
“We finally made it!
Luckily, it hasn’t started yet.” It was the same group of old codgers who had watched Ye Fan cut stones at the Dao Yi Stone Workshop last time.
These individuals had substantial backgrounds, hailing from various Great Sects.
Many were nearing the end of their lifespans, so no one dared to provoke them.
Upon receiving the news, this group of elders had bee as excited as if injected with adrenaline.
They rushed over eagerly and directly landed on the island.
Normally, the Ji Family’s Heavenly Stone Garden did not allow entry on a whim.
However, these people were old patrons and were specially granted access.
One could cast a glance across a vast sea of snowy-white heads.
“Older Sister Biyue, please let Miao Yi go in too,” An Miaoyi, who had just arrived, requested upon spotting Ji Biyue.
Ji Biyue chuckled lightly and nodded in agreement, making an exception.
Consequently, Jiang Yifei, Yao Yuekong, Xu Heng, Jin Chixiao, the Prince of Great Xia, a young nun in white, and some Sacred Land successors, among others, all entered the Stone Garden.
Everyone was astonished.
This Source Technique duel had such a wide-reaching impact, attracting so many people to witness it personally.
Not only were there venerable seniors from the older generation but also Sacred Land successors like Xiang Yifei and the Wanchu Saint Heir.
“Haha…
Young man, are you going to cut out an unparalleled treasure again this time?” an old man laughed heartily.
Another stepped forward and said to Ye Fan, “Young man, do you need this old fellow to give you an introduction?
The good things here are by no means fewer than at the Dao Yi Sacred Land.
Some stones have been here for many years, and we’ve always been curious about them.
They’re certainly parable to the Nine Apertures Stone Man.” Hearing them say this, the expressions of the Ji Family’s Stone Workshop personnel immediately changed.
They secretly cursed these old geezers for having nothing better to do!
Ye Fan smiled and expressed his gratitude to them.
Under an ancient tree, Ye Fan discovered a Dragon Head Stone.
It was about the size of a grinding disc, remarkably lifelike, with a faint Dragon Qi swirling around it.
This stone…
He was taken aback, filled with shock.
This stone is so extraordinary; even ordinary people can glimpse some Dragon Qi, let alone me.
Moreover, this stone is naturally formed, definitely not man-carved, naturally shaped into a dragon’s head.
Amazing!
He was indeed startled.
After careful observation, however, he became uncertain again.
The surface of this stone displays Variations, with Dragon Qi faintly visible.
Yet, I feel the interior might harbor a hollow flaw.
I can’t make a definitive judgment.
“How about this Dragon Head Stone?
It’s priced at one hundred thousand jin of Source.
Dare to cut it?” an old man asked.
“Let’s pass on this stone.” Ye Fan shook his head.
I truly can’t be certain.
“If you don’t cut this stone, you’ll make us old fellows regret it for a lifetime!” a group of old men urged him.
“If I do cut this stone, I’ll likely be the one regretting it for a lifetime,” Ye Fan said, firmly shaking his head.
It wasn’t worth the risk.
On the other side, some elders were enthusiastically introducing Tuoba Chang to the Heavenly Price Rare Stones in the Heavenly Stone Garden.
“This stone makes a sound…” Li Heishui said in surprise, pointing to a Heavenly Price Rare Stone weighing over a hundred jin in a nearby Spiritual Spring.
At this moment, the stone, entirely cyan-brown, produced a pleasant musical sound as the clear spring water rushed over it, as if a zither was being played.
“This stone is highly unusual.
It’s known as the Immortal Sound Stone.
We old folks have coveted it for decades.” This stone, whenever struck by waves of water, would emit a beautiful sound.
It was truly exceptionally strange, making one want to cut it open and see what was inside.
Li Heishui exclaimed, “Eighty thousand jin of Source!
So expensive.” Ye Fan lightly tapped it and leaned in to listen.
Finally, he furrowed his brow.
This doesn’t seem like stone material from a divine sources mine.
He pondered deeply for a moment and eventually stood up.
“How about this stone?
It’s one we find unforgettable,” an old man said, pointing ahead.
This was a sun-drenched area, devoid of vegetation, very dry.
A large stone, about the size of a tabletop, sat there in isolation.
Li Heishui was shocked.
“One hundred twenty thousand jin of Source!
This is too absurd!” “Because this stone is so special.
Heaven and Earth have nurtured a natural image of the Dao on it.
Go and have a look,” an elder introduced.
Ye Fan walked closer and was greatly surprised.
Deeply etched onto this stone was an eight trigram diagram.
“This must have been carved by someone!” Li Heishui scoffed.
“It’s naturally formed!” Ye Fan, having studied Source Technique, could discern this.
His heart was quite unsettled.
In the Ji Family’s Holy Stone Garden, every one of these stones was extraordinary.
“How about it, young friend?
Are you tempted?
Do you want to cut it open and let us feast our eyes?” several old men urged eagerly.
Ye Fan studied it meticulously, observing it with great care.
After a long while, he said, “Aside from this natural image of the Dao, I can’t see anything particularly unusual at the moment.” “Young friend, you are truly posed,” one of the old men remarked.
“Then e and see this treasure of the Stone Garden.” A group of old men led him to another area.
This was a very large stone, over two meters high, standing quietly beside flowering trees.
Falling petals drifted down onto it, lending it an ethereal quality.
“This stone is valued at one hundred fifty thousand jin of Source?
That’s outrageously expensive!
Even if one cut out Divine Sources, it would hardly fetch more than that,” Li Heishui said, shaking his head.
“Young friends, you must look carefully.
This stone is very special.
It’s known as the ‘Peerless Beauty’,” a group of old men said, holding this particular stone in extremely high regard.
On this fine-grained stone, Heaven and Earth had nurtured an image: the outline of a beautiful woman’s head.
Although indistinct, it exuded an infinite ethereal sense, hinting at a peerless beauty.
“Some speculate that a peerless beauty might be sealed inside, her contour revealed through the stone wall.
Do you dare to cut it?” an elder asked, his eyes burning with eagerness, desperately hoping Ye Fan would nod.
“Let me take a look.” Ye Fan circled the large stone, repeatedly tapping and listening.
He was truly stumped.
He had examined four Heavenly Price Rare Stones in succession, and he couldn’t see through any of them.
They might all be hollow inside, yielding nothing if cut.
Yet, there’s this faint feeling…
there could be an unparalleled treasure.
This uncertainty made him furrow his brows tightly.
“Cut it!
Just cut this rare stone called ‘Peerless Beauty’!
Perhaps you’ll cut out a Female Holy Spirit!” an elder said, his voice almost tempting.
“If I really do cut out a Female Holy Spirit, who in the divine city could suppress her?” Ye Fan replied with a smile.
“I think our young friend is tempted!
This treasure of the Stone Garden is truly not to be missed.” Some of the old men, seeming even more anxious than Ye Fan himself, strongly urged him.
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